REVIEW: ‘Kua marara hoki ngā mana o tōna kaha ki runga i te katoa’ - HK Taiaroa

‘Kua marara hoki ngā mana o tōna kaha ki runga i te katoa’ - HK Taiaroa
DUNEDIN PUBLIC ART GALLERY
4 August – 23 November 2025

REVIEW nā HANNAH WALLACE

Celebrating the life and legacy of Kai Tahu rakatira “H.K. (Hori Kerei) Tairaoa through kōrero, taoka tuku iho and contemporary art, 'Kua marara hoki ngā mana o tōna kaha ki runga i te katoa' is a recent exhibition at Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

Opened on 4 August to coincide with the 120th anniversary of his passing, the exhibition offered a space to learn and reflect on his life’s work and how this endures for the benefit of future generations. The exhibition’s title 'Kua marara hoki ngā mana o tōna kaha ki runga i te katoa' is a quote from H.K.’s personal writing which can be translated as ‘His authority and strength is dispersed to all’.

A sense of being uplifted was immediately apparent on entering the exhibition with birdsong from Orokonui Ecosanctuary on the mauka Mihiwaka and the call of putatara calling visitors in.

A pohatu mauri sits at the entrance, presented by the Taiaroa whānau. It was brought down from Taumutu, where Hori Kerei once lived – out on the shores of Te Waihora.

As you round the first corner, you are greeted by a double-wall display of crashing waves at Taiaroa head. This was inspired by a diary entry written by H.K. Taiaroa in 1892. He wrote about observing the waves coming in as he reflected on his name.

If you take your time to stand by the dark gallery walls, listening to the waves and the kāraka, you can picture how he must have felt out on Taiaroa Head, surrounded by the fierceness of the environment. A brilliant opportunity to immerse yourself in his world.

As you move through the exhibition, H.K. Taiaroa’s leadership as a member of the House of Representatives for Southern Māori, along with his relentless advocacy
for Kāi Tahu, is brought to life.

You encounter archival materials, taoka tuku iho, and artworks by other Māori artists, contemporary and historical.